1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image capture device such as a digital camera and the like, and a method of image processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital cameras are known to have functions for acquiring a plurality of images of different focal lengths focused, for example, in the foreground and background, and generating a pan-focus image focused on a plurality of objects from these plurality of images, or generating a blur control image adjusted for the blur condition of objects of the foreground and background.
This blur control principle is disclosed, for example, by Kodama, Ohnishi, Aizawa, and Hattori in “Arbitrary focused image acquisition by using multiple differently focused image,” Image Information Media society; VOL. 51, No. 12, pp. 2072–2081 (1997).
In this related art publication, however, only the principle of controlling the blur condition using the amount of blur relative to the amount of lens extension is disclosed, and the freedom of selection of the blur condition is low. That is, a blur condition set by a user is limited by the installed lens. Alternatively, there are limitations such as the inability to take a photograph which exceeds the stop and shutter speed restricted by the camera structure.
In view of the aforesaid facts, an object of the present invention is to provide an image capture device and a method of image processing which increase the freedom of setting the blur condition when generating a blur control image.